Agriculture is the science, art, and business of cultivating the soil, producing crops, raising livestock; and farming. With respect to cultivating the soil and producing crops, it is well known to add various fertilizing and other compositions to the soil and/or plant foliage in order to improve results. Agents that have been added to soil and/or plant tissues include microbial agents, which impart some beneficial property to the soil and/or plant to provided for desirable results.
There is continued interest in the development of new microbial formulations that are capable of providing beneficial results in agriculture and related fields.
Relevant Literature
U.S. Patents of interest include: U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,797,976; 5,696,094; 5,582,627; and 5,549,729. PCT applications of interest include: WO 00/13502 and WO 00/38513. See also: Mycorrhizae and Plant Health, F. L. Pfleger & R. G. Linderman, eds (1994) pp. 1-45; The Nature and Practice of Biological Control of Plant Pathogens, R. J. Cook & K. F. Baker (1983); and Microbial Ecology, Fundamentals and Applications. R. M. Atlas & R. Bartha, pp. 99-160